TREASURE HUNTING

Finding a new job is much like a hunting for treasure. You can dream big. You can know exactly what you want. You can realize you are not getting enough of your dreams or much of what you want. Then you become convinced your problem is that you are in the wrong job. You begin thinking there is a better job out there. You start searching. You are off hunting your treasure. Your story is not new it is an old one. It is a story of adventure, unbelievable amounts of money and extreme satisfaction. Once, upon-a-time a similar adventure began. A poor lad much like yourself and dissatisfied with his work, learned there was an unbelievable treasure cave in the mountains near his village. One day after he reached his limit. He could not help himself, it was the mundane assignments and lack of recognition for his skills, that caused him to pack his rucksack and set-out to the mountains. He was off to locate the treasure cave.

The lad followed a well-worn path. After days of adventure and climbing he came to the entrance of the cave. Inside he thought was all he could have ever dreamed about. Proceeding carefully he passed the bones and skeletons of those who had gone before him and had failed. Failure was not an option for him.

Much to his astonishment and once in the cave, a dragon appeared. The dragon was guarding the treasure. Our lad could see it; both the richness and the dragon. A fierce fight began. Every move the he made it was stopped by the dragon. The lad fought to exhaustion. That dragon had inexhaustible energy. Our hero, found refuge at a safe place outside the cave to rest. The next morning, refreshed, he entered the cave again. His battle for treasure continued. His every advance was stopped by the dragon. As the days and weeks and months wore on the lad persisted; the dragon prevailed.

Exhausted and near death he realized what those whose bones littered the path to the treasure cave never realized. The dragon he was fighting; the fire-breathing creature who knew his every move and had kept him from the treasure was nothing more than himself. Instead of changing; learning something new or doing something different to defeat the dragon he quit and left the cave. Wounded, disheartened he fell along the well-worn trail adding his body and bones to the skeletons he saw when he first entered the treasure cave.

Most of the challenges you face at work are challenges of our own making. When defeated, you become a victim of your own making. Once that is realized you will open yourself to do something different or do something to improve. That alone will get you more of what you want on your terms. There is a third option; stay the way you are and keep getting what you are getting.

HOW TO KEEP FROM BEING A VICTIM OF YOUR OWN MAKING

Play around with these questions that could get you thinking beyond being a victim.

1. If money was not a concern what could you do? 2. If you had all the time you needed what could you develop? 3. If you job was the perfect job list what it would be like? 4. If you could implement all of your ideas what would they be? 5. If there were no limitations what would be taking place?

From your list choose items you can work on to do something different or something to improve.